Save Me From Myself
by Beautiful Cerberus
Summary: All I'm going to say is this: Vincent Valentine needs to be saved.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always.**

**Summary: Vincent is a loner, a sinner, someone who just needs love. Then he meets a girl named Lucrecia, and his world automatically changes. The only thing standing in the way was her feelings, and his dangerous drug habit. Can someone save Vincent from himself? Takes place in highschool. Other AC characters featured, also.**

Introduction:

There he was, in the dark alleyway next to Midgar High, smoking a cigarette before the school bell rang. Groups of students were cluttered outside the door, hanging out with their own 'people'. 'Damn them, damn them all,' Vincent thought, taking another puff of smoke before dropping the cigarette and crushing it with his black boots that had little chains with skulls on them. He walked out of the shadows of the alleyway, emerging just in time as the school bell rang. 'Another day,' he thought.

It was called Midgar High, where all the kids in Midgar go. There were all different kinds of people; goths, loners, preps, nerds, jocks, and some kids were just normal. Vincent was getting sick of it all. He had one friend, though. His name was Cloud Strife. He fell under the angsty/loner category, but people still liked him. He had a girlfriend, Tifa Lockheart. She wasn't a prep, or bigheaded, she was just popular. Alot of people liked her because she was nice.

Vincent used to cut school almost everyday, but decided to stop doing it because it gave him something to do. Cloud knew that Vincent did drugs, and tells him to stop, but Vincent doesn't. In his own mind, it helps him cope with things that go on. His dad died while on a mission for the Turks, and he never knew his mother. He lived alone, in a crap apartment. '_Gives me freedom_,' he had once said to Cloud. But behind what people saw everyday; a scary, drug addict who wore black all the time and pushed people away; there was something he wanted more than anything.

Love. Something he never had. Even though when he saw a couple kissing or hugging, he'd think, 'Screw em', he wanted it. He wanted love, because he never had it. Either he wanted it just to know what it feels like, or just to know that it exists. For a long time, he didn't believe in love. Thought it was a scam, something that was never real. But that didn't stop him from wanting it. But, he could never have it. He knew he could never get anyone who would like someone like him; a lone drug addict. But, it came to the point where he was starting not to care.

It was just a matter of time.

Something will happen. His angel will save him.

**Was that okay? Okay. That was just the introduction.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: In case you're wondering, I don't hate Yuffie. This is just her character in the story.**

**Chapter Two:**

Vincent walked into the bathroom after his third class to have a cigarette. Leaning against the wall, he pulled out a smoke, lit it and stuck it in his mouth. Usually other guys didn't care if he was smoking in there, other than the suckups. Just then, the door opened, and Vincent took the cigarette from his mouth. It was Cloud. "Oh, hey Cloud," he said. Cloud nodded, going into one of the stalls. Vincent put the cigarette back into the corner of his mouth. "Gosh, how can you stand that smell?" Cloud asked from inside the stall. Vincent shrugged even though he knew Cloud couldn't see him. "Try not to breathe, Cloud," he said. Cloud came out of the stall and walked over to the sink. "Smart idea, Vincent," he said, washing his hands. Vincent smirked. Cloud dried his hands. "You wanna come down with me and Tifa to the Seventh Heaven after school?" he asked.

Vincent shrugged. "I've gotta go to work, make up for last week." Vincent worked with cars, fixing them and stuff. **(You get the idea.)**

"What happened last week?"

"I wasn't there." He lifted his ankle up and put out the cigarette with the bottom of his boot. "Oh, that sucks," Cloud said. Vincent shrugged again. "I can make money," he said, walking out of the bathroom. Cloud followed. Just then, Yuffie Kisagari came bouncing down the hall. She had a HUGE crush on Vincent for 5 years. Vincent sighed. "Great.." he said, walking the other way towards his next class. Its not that he hated her, its just that she took it way too far. She hung up pictures of him in her locker, and followed him all the time. "Vincent, wait up!" she called, running to his side. She smiled.

"Yes?" Vincent said. "Oh come on, Vinny! You gotta put a smile on your face! Stop being so sad," said Yuffie.

"Please don't call me Vinny. I don't and never will respond to that name."

"Sorry, Vinny- oops, I mean, Vincent. You wanna walk home with me after school?"

"I got work. Sorry."

"Well at least give me a smile!" She pinched his cheek. Vincent sighed, pushing her hand away gently. "I gotta go now, but I'll see you later!" Yuffie said, bouncing away. Vincent sighed in relief. "She REALLY likes you, huh?" Cloud said, shoving his hands into his pockets. Vincent just walked away.

"Damnit!" Vincent said, taking his hand away from the engine. He just burned himself. He shook it off and continued to fix the client's car. "Can't you just _replace_ the engine?" the owner of the car, a guy named Jay, asked. Vincent sighed. He'd been nagging him ever since he got here. "Okay, I'm just trying to fix the car right now. I know what I'm doing, trust me," Vincent said, continuing to indulge himself in fixing the car. Jay scoffed and sat on a bench.

It took another 10 minutes for him to fix it. "You can go in and pay now," said Vincent, wiping his hands off with a rag. Jay walked into the office. Vincent closed the hood and walked into the office too. Right before Jay was about to leave, he said, "Hey, thanks." Vincent just walked off into the other room.

He wiped his face off with a rag. It was a dirty job sometimes. Then, his boss came into the room. His name was Reeve Tuesti. "Valentine, I need to talk to you," he said, sitting at the desk. "Okay," Vincent said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. Reeve sighed as though he had a headache. "What did we talk about not too long ago, Valentine? About treating our customers with respect?" he said. Vincent shook his head. "The guy was bugging me the whole half hour, like he was the freakin mechanic," he said.

"Thats not what its about. You need to treat our customers with respect, okay? It may not be in your blood, but.." Reeve then stood up, and approached Vincent. "Just do it because its your job, alright? And considering that its your _job_, you may want to do it because if not, you're fired," he said. Reeve walked out of the room. Vincent sighed. He'd been confronted about it before, but considering that Reeve and him were friends, Reeve didn't really want to let him go, but he would if it got worse. Vincent went out of the room to grab his stuff and leave.

When he got to his apartment, it was raining. Hard. Vincent's clothes were soaked, his hair was slick with water. He pushed the key into the door to his apartment, and opened it. It was dark. He flipped the switch for the light. The light was dim, and it blinked every once in a while like a dimestore lamp. He sighed and threw himself on the couch. He didn't have a TV. Standing up again, he walked up to his bedroom. Throwing his homework aside, he looked in the mirror. Some days he felt like punching it. '_I'll eventually break,_' he thought to himself. He took off his wet shirt and threw it aside. He then opened the drawer where he kept his marijuana, and ice pipes. Taking the marijuana, he lit himself a joint and smoked every bit of it while sitting against his headboard.

Then one eventually lead to another, then another. He had 4 of them. He was so dizzy he couldn't see what was in front of him. It was like his breakdown. Reaching into his nightstand drawer, he picked up one of the four pictures he had left of his dad. Studying it, he sighed. He looked over at the clock, and couldn't tell whether it said 11:30, or 1:00, or 12:57. His eyelids felt heavy as he looked as his father's Turk picture. He closed his eyes, laying the picture down. He dropped the marijuana joint, and it burned the picture of his father until the joint had no more fire to give.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the beautiful Square Enix. God bless their souls hehe.**

**I am eternally grateful for the reviews I'm getting. You are all awesome. 'For you I owe my life and two bags of dog food.'**

**JUST SO YOU KNOW, the lines that say 'no control' are courtesy of the band Avenged Sevenfold. Its from the song 'Sidewinder'.**

**Chapter Three:**

The next morning, Vincent walked to school. He was really late, by two hours. As he knew, everyone was in class right now, listening to the teacher babble about equations and the importance of using correct grammar or something. He didn't bother asking for a pass for being late, he just went straight to the bathroom to have a smoke before his class. Lighting it up, he breathed in the aroma. Just then, the door opened and Cid Highwind came in, followed by Barret Wallace, his best friend. "Gosh, why does everyone have to come in here while I'm having a moment?" Vincent said, waving his cigarette around. "We just gotta piss, man! Chill," said Barret, heading into one of the stalls. Vincent looked at Cid. "What'd you come here to do, watch him?" he said, taking another long puff.

Cid shook his head. "What's wrong with you? Shouldn't you be in your classroom?" He always had a toothpick in his mouth, and spoke with a funny country accent... If there even _is_ a country side to Midgar.. "I'm running late. Had a bad night," Vincent said, putting the cigarette out. The toilet flushed and Barret came out to wash his hands. "Bye, Vinny!" Cid yelled as Vincent went out the door. He called over his shoulder, "It's VINCENT."

Later that day, at lunch time, Cloud came over to Vincent. He always sat outside on the steps to eat his lunch. "Hey Vincent. Didn't see you this morning. Where were you?" Cloud asked, sitting next to him. "I was late. I had a bad night," he said, taking a long sip of his soda. Cloud was suprised that it wasn't alcohol today. "Oh. Sorry to hear that," said Cloud. "Don't be," said Vincent.

"Well, me and Tifa are going to a party tonight over at Reno's house. You wanna come, or... what?" Vincent shrugged. "Will there be beer?" he asked quietly. After a few seconds of trying to find out what he asked, Cloud replied, "Yeah. I mean, its RENO'S house." Vincent smiled slightly. "What time?" he asked.

"Starts at 7. You coming?"

"Sure, I'll go. Could use the extra alcohol."

"Okay." A few moments passed before anyone spoke. The bell was close to ringing. Cloud sighed.

"You alright, man?" he asked. Sometimes he worried about Vincent. "I mean, its not like me to be worried, but I am."

"...You should still be," said Vincent, getting up and heading inside. Cloud sighed.

After school, Vincent needed to stop by work and get his paycheck for the week. He walked into Reeve's office. Reeve was sitting at his desk, fumbling around with his computer. He noticed that Vincent had walked in and smiled. "I'm here for my check," said Vincent, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "Uh..." Reeve said. He opened a filing cabinet filled with a bunch of papers, and started sifting through them. "Your check, your check.." he muttered under his breath.

"Is it here yet?" Vincent asked.

"I-It's here, Rude dropped it off yesterday." Rude handed out all the checks to the people who actually worked for a living, and he worked for the Turks. Reeve kept looking for Vincent's check. "Ah!" he said, pulling the check out of the filing cabinet and handing it to Vincent. He opened the envelope, wondering how many more bags of marijuana he could get with his profits. When he saw the amount, he gasped. "What the hell?" Vincent said, turning to Reeve. "What?" Reeve asked.

"My total dropped over 20 percent even AFTER Uncle Rufus was paid!" he said, pointing it out on the check. **(Get it? Uncle Rufus instead of Uncle Sam who pulls taxes, and stuff like that out your paychecks? Okay...) **

"Well, you _have_ been late for the past few weeks of work. Thats obviously gonna take out from your paycheck."

"But.. 20! I need to make a living off of this money, but myself."

"Then I suggest you pull your act together and start being on time for work. Simplest way to earn more for your work, Valentine."

"But..." He stopped. He just sighed and put the check back in the envelope. "Okay.." he said. Reeve nodded. "Good day, Valentine," he said, turning back to his computer. Vincent walked out of work.

At 7:00, Vincent started walking to Reno's house. When he got there, it was already crowded. He walked into the house, it was big. There was chaos everywhere. Vincent looked around, ignoring the people around him that were knocking into him. He knew that if Yuffie was here, he would surely- "Vinny!" Vincent sighed, knowing that voice. Yuffie came strolling up to him with a big grin on her face. "Hi, Vince! I didn't know you were coming," she said. Vincent nodded. "Do you like it here?" she asked.

"Well, speaking for someone who hasn't even been here for five minutes, I can't really say. Where are the drinks?" Yuffie smiled and grabbed his arm. "Right in here," she said, pulling him into the kitchen. There was a table full of drinks. He released himself from Yuffie and walked to the table, grabbing a beer and taking a long sip of it. It was like that made him feel relieved. "Hey, Vincent," someone said. Vincent turned and saw Cloud. He was holding hands with Tifa. "Hi Cloud," he said, sipping his beer down and taking another one. "You just get here?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah. Ran into Yuffie." He rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. Cloud laughed. "Dude, be careful with the drinks, alright?" Cloud said. Vincent shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?" Cloud sighed and waved as he got lost in the crowd again. Vincent stood by the table, watching people go by.

It was now 10:00, and Vincent was getting dizzy. He just shook it off. He had bumped into Cid, Barret, Reno, alot of people. He was in the living room when Reno called out from kitchen, "Shots!" Vincent felt that he needed to get up and take shots. Even if he didn't want to, he somehow _needed_ to. There was so much stress in his life, alcohol seemed to make some of it go away, even if only for a little while. He lifted himself up from the couch, dragging himself to the kitchen. Reno was standing on the kitchen table, a whole tray of shots waiting to be devoured. Pushing his way through the crowd, eying the shotglasses, he thought, "I'll be the one to take every one of those shots." Thats what stained his mind like a deadly plague.

Reaching the kitchen table, he steadied himself on his unsteady legs over the tray of shots. Taking one, he took it down. Taking another, he took that down. Taking another one, he took that down too. Taking yet another one, he engulfed that one too. One after another after another.

'_No control..'_

He didn't stop. He thought of it as 'Each one washes more pain away, more pain being destroyed.'

'_No control..'_

Reno kneeled down next to him. "Hey, man, stop. Stop," he said, shaking Vincent's arm. He didn't stop. He didn't want to stop.

'_Decisions made for me, no control..'_

He kept throwing them back into his throat. The taste was harsh, strong, it made his head pound. He heard nothing around him. He only heard the thoughts that ran through his head so fast through his brain that it might explode.

'_I can't regret, can't escape decisions made for me, no control..'_

Reno shook his arm harder, and push the rest of the shots off the table. "Vincent, stop!" he yelled. Vincent dropped the empty shotglass that he held in his shaking hand, and fell to his knees. Cloud pushed his way the crowd. "Watch out, move!" he said, making his way to Vincent who was swearing that he felt the room spinning. Cloud took Vincent up from the floor. "Come on, Vincent. We gotta go," he said, trying to help him out of the kitchen. Vincent pulled away. "No, I want more.." he slurred, falling through the crowd while he was going back to the table. "No!" Cloud said, picking him up again.

"Let go of me, Strife!" Vincent said.

"Vincent, stop. You don't need this."

"Yes I do! I need more!" Vincent tried to pull himself away from Cloud, but he was too weak and fell to his hands and knees. Reno jumped off the table, picking Vincent up. "Man, you need help!" he said, pulling him up to his shoulders. Vincent looked at him with drooping eyes, Reno's face looked blurry. "I don't need help.." he slurred. Reno sighed as Cloud helped him with Vincent. "I don't need help!" he slurred a little more loudly, but it's not like anyone other than Cloud and Reno could hear him. Everyone made a path where Cloud and Reno carried Vincent out the door carefully.

Vincent lowered his head. He was weaker than ever, and his mind was spinning.

"I don't need help.."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Square Enix, alright?**

**Chapter Four:**

Vincent was sitting at his desk, his head down. He was still feeling woozy from last night. Cloud had took him home, and Vincent spent half the night throwing up in the toilet. "You almost fucking passed out," Cloud had told him before they went to school. Vincent didn't really remember last night too clearly. His head was still pounding. "Attention everyone," the teacher, Professor Tseng, said. Everyone quieted down. Vincent sighed and pulled his head up lazily. '_Thank god I sit in the back of the classroom,_' he thought to himself.

"We have a new student in this class. Everyone please welcome Lucrecia Crescent," said Pro. Tseng. Vincent looked towards the doorway, his attention fully adjusted towards seeing this new girl. And when he did, something seemed to implode inside him. Her golden brown hair was pulled up, some of it falling down the side of her face. Her deep brown eyes seemed beautiful, but a little lost. She looked around before walking to her seat, two rows from Vincent and two seats up from him. Vincent tried not to be seen looking at her, but he couldn't stop looking. '_She's beautiful,_' he thought.

"Hello, Lucrecia," said Pro. Tseng. She nodded her head and smiled slightly. '_A broken smile_,' Vincent thought. She pushed some of her hair behind her ear, and looked down. "Okay, we'll start now," said Pro. Tseng. Vincent sighed. '_She could never fall for a guy like me.._'

Vincent hardly ate at lunch. When it was time for lunch, he just went into the bathroom to smoke and think. Pulling out a cigarette, he sighed. He knew that smoking was one of the things keeping him away from relationships with others. But he did it anyway. He lit it, and stood against the wall. The bathroom filled with smoke. Then, someone walked in. Vincent looked, and it was Cloud. "Saw you looking at the new girl this morning," he said, walking into one of the stalls. Vincent didn't say anything. "You had this big dreamy look on your face," Cloud said. Vincent stood there, inhaling the smoke, then breathing it back out again. He tried to imagine himself with a dreamy look on his face.

Cloud came out of the stall. "You alright from last night?" he asked, squeezing the soap dispenser to get the remainder of cheap soap. Vincent shrugged. "My head hurts like a bitch," he said, throwing his cigarette out. "Why is there never any fucking soap in this bathroom? I need to wash my hands after I take a piss!" Cloud said. Vincent smiled slightly, shaking his head. Cloud sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Oh well.." he said. Vincent rubbed his head, dreading the next class. "Maybe you should eat something," said Cloud as they walked out of the bathroom. "If I eat something, I think I'm gonna barf," he said, walking to his locker and opening it. He took out a bottle.

"What's that?" Cloud asked. Vincent opened it. There were pills inside. "Headache medicine," he said, shoving two pills in his mouth and downing them without water. "Oh," said Cloud. Vincent put them back and walked away to his next class.

"Attention, please!" Professor Elena said, clapping her hands. Vincent looked up. Lucrecia sat in the row next to him in science class, but was five seats up. "Thank you," said Prof. Elena. Vincent closed his eyes, rubbing his head again. It was pounding. He glanced over at Lucrecia, gazing at her delicate skin. "We have a new student. Not only do we have Lucrecia Crescent, but we have another one. His name is Hojo. Please welcome him," said Prof. Elena. He walked through the door. He wore glasses, and looked like a madman. He wore a white lab coat. _'Well, it IS science,'_ Vincent thought. Hojo seemed kind of weird. Vincent saw something in his eyes that seemed... strange. Hostile.

It was then that Hojo glanced at Lucrecia. _'He knows her,'_ Vincent thought. He could tell by his eye contact. Lucrecia blushed slightly and looked away, but didn't smile. Vincent glared at Hojo as he took a seat right next to him. He saw something 'bastardlike' about him. **(I hate Hojo more than anything)** Vincent sensed something wrong. Hojo looked like a nerd, but strongwilled. The way he looked at Lucrecia let Vincent know that something was wrong. And the way Lucrecia had looked away let him know something was very wrong. Vincent sighed, shaking his head. _'Stop thinking these thoughts, ass! You don't even know them!'_ he thought to himself.

Even though Vincent wasn't looking, he could feel the heat of Hojo's glare burning into his cheek. The lesson began.

"You can all go now," Prof. Elena said, sitting at her desk. Vincent sat for a moment, waiting to see what Hojo would do. Hojo got up, and nearly ran to Lucrecia's side. She wouldn't look at him. He seemed angry as they walked out the door. Vincent got up, and went towards the door. "Vincent," Professor Elena said. Vincent sighed and turned. "Yeah?" he said. She motioned for him to come over. Vincent walked over to the front of her desk.

"Lately you've been doing bad with your work. I mean, your quiz percentage dropped by 19 percent. You haven't turned in your homework, and your grade is slipping. We might have to have a meeting with your parents." Vincent sneered. Didn't they _know_? "You're gonna have a hard time doing that," he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Hasn't anyone told you people? I HAVE no parents. I'm living on my own, working as a mechanic to make a living, okay?"

"Oh... I'm sorry, Vincent." Vincent shook his head. It seemed like no one cared. Prof. Elena sighed. "Well, we've got to something about your work. You've gotta clean up your act, and work harder," she said. Vincent threw his arms to the side. "What ACT! My life isn't a act. Look, you teachers don't know anything about my home life," he said. He was sad. No one understood. He sighed. "Look, I'll do my best, alright?" he said, and he walked out, not caring if she had more to say.

He looked around the hall, looking to see if Lucrecia was there. He wanted to meet her, _bad_. But he knew that he could never have her. No one would want a breakdown. Still he looked, but couldn't see her. She had already left. He was too late. He sighed and walked out of the school.

Vincent laid on his bed, his arm over his forehead. His long black hair fell onto his shoulders. Thoughts ran through his head. His room was dark, the only light was the moon shining in. Sometimes he even closed the curtain to keep the moonlight out. Pitch black darkness. "Lucrecia, Lucrecia Crescent," he said. He liked saying her name. It sounded like an angel's name. "Lucrecia Crescent..." He looked over to his nightstand and pulled out his headache medicine. He opened the bottle. There were still a good amount of pills inside. He thought. Then, he put the bottle up to his mouth, ready to take all the pills at once, like he had done with the shots. Then he thought about talking to Lucrecia. What if it got better? What if she liked him? _'That'll never happen, Valentine,'_ he thought to himself. But he sighed and pulled the bottle away from his mouth.

He thought of her face. Her golden brown hair fallen over the side of her face, the form of her gorgeous face, and her beautiful eyes... All of it made Vincent want to know her. Maybe she was beautiful on the inside, too. He thought of her smile. Her broken smile. It was gorgeous, but something was wrong. He remembered Hojo. He seemed mean. The way he looked at Lucrecia made Vincent notice something was wrong. Just in one expression, he saw a million things.

_'But she could never fall for a guy like me,'_ he thought to himself as he allowed himself to fall into the arms of sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the beautiful Square Enix, who changed my life. (The reason I say this is cause I beat Dirge of Cerberus and bawled like a baby. But they did change my life.)**

**Now I hate Hojo more than EVER...**

Chapter Five:

It was Friday, the last day of the week. After Vincent had to go to work after school, he knew he'd be alone for the weekend. For once he wished it wasn't Friday, so he could have a chance to possibly muster up the courage to talk to Lucrecia. He walked alone to school. It was a cloudy day, and the sky was grey. Vincent's darkness seemed to match in a way. He walked up the stairs, and this was the first time he wasn't late in a long time. Cloud came over to him with Tifa. "Hey, Vincent. You alright?" Cloud asked. Vincent shrugged then nodded slightly. "I guess," he said. But he had been a little stressed lately. He had run out of marijuana, and didn't have enough money to buy more from his 'drug dealers'.

Vincent sighed. "I'm glad it's Friday, though," he said. Cloud nodded. Tifa smiled. "Hope you're okay, Vincent," she said. He nodded. Then, Yuffie came over to him. '_Ring, bell, ring!_' Vincent thought to himself as she neared. "Hi, Vince!" she said, patting his shoulder. "Hi.." he said quietly. She tilted her head, as though she had seen something weird on his face. "You okay?" she asked. Vincent sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me if I'm okay!" he said, walking through the doors and leaving Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie.

Vincent was dreading science, when he had to sit next to that new guy, Hojo. But maybe he could find out something about him. He definitely wanted to know more about Lucrecia, but was too afraid of being rejected. But he could see something different in her eyes. Something pained, something that she felt sad about. Vincent sat up in his chair, waiting for Lucrecia to come in. When she walked in, Hojo was by her side. He seemed to be talking to her, but she just kept her head down. Vincent eyed him suspiciously. Then, as she turned to go to her seat, Hojo grabbed her wrist. She turned back around to look at him. Vincent tried with all his might to contain himself, since he wanted to rip Hojo's face off. He watched as Hojo said something to her between gritted teeth. She nodded hesitantly, and went to sit down. Vincent kept his glare on Hojo as he sat down next to him. Hojo glared back, then turned his attention to the front of the room. _'Bastard,'_ he thought to himself. Vincent was hardly able to focus for the rest of the day.

After school, he ran to work because he was already late. He ran into Reeve's office, breathing hard. "Sorry I'm late," he said, putting his stuff down and going to get the first customer. He didn't even give Reeve a chance to reply. Vincent came out of the office, and lit a cigarette before working. As he inhaled, he froze. It was her. Lucrecia. She was there. He felt like he wanted to disappear. Their first confrontation at his work! He turned away quickly, and put out his cigarette even though he wasn't finished with it yet. He sighed, and walked over to her, not saying anything.

"Sir?" Lucrecia asked. Vincent couldn't oblige. He looked up at her. "Hi," he said. "Oh, hi. I knew you looked familiar. I think you're in some of my classes, right?" she said. Vincent's insides felt like they were twisted. _'Oh, she's so beautiful..'_ he thought to himself. "U-Uh, yeah. I thought you looked familiar, too. A-Are you having problems with your car?" he asked.

"Oh, actually it's my boyfriend's car... He didn't feel like taking it here, so I had to. B-But it's okay, I don't mind.."

'_Hojo!'_ Vincent thought to himself, filling with rage. _'So he made her come here?'_

"Are you alright?" she asked, looking at Vincent. '_Shit! Caught in a daze,'_ he thought. She smiled slightly. "Oh, uh.. sorry. I'll fix it. What are the problems with it?" he asked, walking over to the car. "He said something about the engine. It's not working right. And neither is the motor," she said, sitting on a chair. Vincent lifted up the hood, but he couldn't concentrate. It was hard to. He couldn't take his mind off of her. She was actually there with him, in the same place. But he didn't want to fix this car. It was _his_. Hojo. But he wanted to be with her.

"Okay, I'm gonna have to get under the car," he said. He went over and grabbed the things that he would need. Lucrecia sat patiently on the bench. As he went under the car, she spoke. "So, you work here?" she asked.

"Yeah. I need to make money. I live by myself."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... You live in Kalm?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I apologize for asking all these questions, I'm just.." She stopped talking. '_No, it's okay,' _Vincent thought. He wanted to tell her it was okay, he wanted to fix her broken smile. It took about 20 minutes to fix the car. "Oh, thank you so much. This really helped me.." she said. "No problem... Y-You can go into the office and see Reeve to pay," Vincent replied. She smiled and walked away. As soon as he knew she was gone, he sighed and slid down to the ground. "My god.." he said. He had just helped Lucrecia, the girl he wanted to talk to for a long time!

He rubbed his head, and pulled out another cigarette from his pocket. He didn't want Lucrecia to see that he smoked, though. Lighting it, he leaned up against the wall. A few minutes later, Lucrecia came back out again. Before she could see, Vincent threw his cigarette out to the side, putting a mint in his mouth. "Thank you, um... I apologize! I didn't get your name.." she said, looking at him. Vincent stood up.

"Vincent. Vincent Valentine," he said. She smiled. "Thank you, Vincent. Oh, and I'm Lucrecia. Lucrecia Crescent," she replied. Vincent smiled inside. '_What a beautiful name..'_ he thought to himself. He nodded.

"I'll see you around, then," she said, walking to the car. He nodded again. But then, as she was walking to the door, he saw something. There was a scratch on the back of her neck, accompanied by a small bruise. _'No, it can't be... Get that off your mind, Vincent,'_ he thought to himself. She sat in the driver's seat and drove off. Vincent sighed.

_'Thank you, Vincent. Oh, and I'm Lucrecia..'_

_'...Lucrecia Crescent.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to the beautiful Square Enix. God bless you all. Haven't I said this before?**

**P.S: Don't mind my angst. Parents. Separation. Guess this is my one reason I keep going strong. (Smiles)**

**P.P.S: Before I forget... (Takes Sephiroth and slaps him across the face) You'll understand.**

**Chapter Six:**

It was Saturday, and Vincent was going to go buy more marijuana from his 'drug dealer', Sephiroth. He always sat in an alleyway, willing to give people drugs for a price. A _high_ price. Vincent was gonna try to make a deal with him because his paycheck dropped more than 20 percent since he started being late to work. Putting the money in his pocket, along with a pack of cigarettes, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. _'God, Vincent! What are you doing! This isn't the way to live life!'_ he thought to himself. He just shook his head and walked out the door. He knew that if Lucrecia ever saw him doing this, she'd never want anything to do with him.

_'Who could want a druggie?'_

Vincent slowly, and casually walked into Sephiroth's alley. Sephiroth sat there between two trash cans, smoking. It was dark, shadows covered everything. Sephiroth's long silver hair fell over his shoulders, his arms resting on his stomach. He looked over to Vincent, and stood up. Vincent walked over to him, keeping his head down. "Look, I need more marijuana, but I might not have enough money.." he said. Sephiroth stood slightly taller over Vincent. He shrugged. "How much you got?" he asked.

Vincent took the money out of his wallet, and handed it to him. Sephiroth stood there, flipping through the dollar bills. Each time, he would start shaking his head. He made this little click noise with his tongue. Vincent sighed. "My paycheck dropped cause I was always running late," he said. Sephiroth held the money, not looking at Vincent. "Look, if you can just give me the drugs, and I'll pay you back. I swear," Vincent continued.

Sephiroth looked at Vincent. "200 dollars, Vincent?" he said. His voice was letting him know that he thought he was pathetic. "That's all I could make! Why can't you just give me the damn drugs and I'll give my next paycheck to you?" he replied. Sephiroth smirked, shaking his head. Just then, he pushed Vincent up against the wall, holding his arm against Vincent's throat. Vincent grabbed his arms, trying to get him off. "I don't work like that, you know?" Sephiroth said, smiling as he watched Vincent struggle for air. "You don't tell me how to do business, alright? I get ALL my money, you get your drugs. If I don't GET all my money, you don't get your drugs!" he said. Vincent tried to pull his arms away. Sephiroth smiled, and let him go.

Vincent slid to the ground, gasping for air. Sephiroth towered over him. "You give me my money, you get the drugs, got it?" he said. Vincent glared at him through his weak eyes. Sephiroth chuckled and went back deeper into the alleyway, leaving Vincent alone. Vincent got up, and walked out of the alleyway.

That night, he sat on his bed alone. The moon shined it's white light into the dark abyss that was Vincent's room. It still seemed to do no good. Darkness was everywhere, in the shadows, on the walls, in empty shell that was Vincent's heart. He sighed, rubbing his head. He needed a joint. He needed something. Something to hurt him, maybe make him numb, to take away the pain that wouldn't go away. It still lingered, no matter what weapon he chose to fight with.

He opened his drawer, and pulled out the gun that awaited. Black, big, just what he needed to end it. Or at least scare him back into reality. Holding it in his hands, he let random thoughts race through his mind. He thought about school. He thought about Cloud. He thought about the drugs, the booze, the destruction... He thought about his father. 'Why so soon?' he said to himself. Nothing answered. Nothing made a sound. Nothing but the sound of the cold clood that ran through his dead veins. He looked at the gun, then held it to his head.

"It only takes one, Valentine," he said to himself. He squeezed the trigger slightly, but then pulled his finger away.

_'...and I'm Lucrecia.' _Those words he remembered seemed to stop the world around him. He could still hear the angel's voice.

_'I'm Lucrecia... Lucrecia Crescent.'_ He wanted to remember those words for as long as he lived. They echoed over and over, no matter what he wanted. Her voice was like heaven to him, the light that guided him in the darkness. Her presence was one that he didn't want forgotten. Her face, he imagined seeing her as she helped pull him out of his own darkness, and hid him from his worst enemy, his own reflection. _'Stop kidding yourself, Valentine,'_ he thought to himself. He held the gun to the side of his head again.

_'Oh, hi. I knew you looked familiar...'_

Those words forced him to pull the gun from his head again. "I'm familiar to her," he whispered to himself. Sure it was only a little thing, but it meant the world to him. Someone actually recognized him after seeing him, not rejecting him. That was a first. He sighed and put the gun back in his drawer, leaving it be for the rest of the night. But what he didn't let be were his thoughts of _her._ The girl that might be his guardian angel, his light in dark times, the one who could save him...

As he slowly laid down and fell into a light sleep, her words to him echoed in his head over and over...

_'Oh, and I'm Lucrecia..'_

_'..Lucrecia Crescent.'_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Thank you.**

**Chapter Seven:**

Vincent was at school, hanging out with Cloud. "And she even came to the shop because she had a problem with her car," Vincent told him. Cloud smiled, shaking his head. "You really like her, don't you?" he asked. Vincent shrugged, taking a quick sip of beer that he had sneaked past the school. "She's so nice though. And her smile... It's broken, but still beautiful, you know? But I know something is wrong with her. Her boyfriend is.." Vincent cringed.

"Hojo. He seems like a bastard fuck. I saw a scratch on the back of her neck, too."

"Why don't you go talk to her? Talk about something other than having to fix her car."

"That's the thing! It was Hojo's car, too!" Vincent growled. Cloud smiled. "I've never seen you so worked up about anything before, Vincent. Never really heard you talk so much," he said. Vincent sighed. "I want to know her, you know? It's really weird. I feel like theres something there. Or there could be. But, she'd never go for a guy like me..."

"Sure she would, Vincent! It's just a matter of whether you talk to her or not."

"That bastard is standing in the way! Cloud, I think he... I think he like, hits her.."

"How do you know?"

"What else would explain that gash on her neck? And I've seen how she looks away from him when he whispers something to her. A-And the way she pulls her arm away when he grabs her wrist. If I could, I would punch him every single time he did that."

"She does seem kind of reluctant towards him..."

"Aw, who am I kidding? She wouldn't want me even if she wasn't with Hojo. That's that."

"Vincent, don't say that." Just then, Yuffie bounced up next to Vincent. "Hi, guys!" she said. Vincent sighed. "You don't look too roughed up," she said to him.

"Not usually roughed up, Yuffie," he replied, walking back into school.

Professor Tseng was going to assign partners for the science project that they were supposed to do. _'Please don't be Hojo, PLEASE don't be Hojo!'_ Vincent thought to himself. Professor Tseng called out names. "Hojo, you're going to be assigned with Mr. Gast over there," Tseng said. Hojo raised his hand. "Do you think I can do this project by myself?" he asked.

Tseng shrugged. "Sure," he said. Vincent glared secretively at Hojo. "Vincent Valentine, you're going to be with Lucrecia Crescent. Hopefully she can get you on track because you're not doing too wel-"

_'I'M GONNA BE WITH LUCRECIA!'_ Vincent thought. He felt as though his brains just exploded. He then heard Hojo sneer. When he looked to him, he saw that Hojo was glaring at Lucrecia. "You bastard fuck," Vincent muttered under his breath. "Excuse me?" he heard Lucrecia say.

He nearly jumped out of his chair. Everyone had already started working. Lucrecia smiled. "Why are you so suprised? Is my face_ that_ hideous?" she asked jokingly.

"Oh, n-no! I just hadn't realized that we started working yet.." he replied. Lucrecia smiled. "Come on, let's go start," she said. Vincent got up, and followed her to the table in the back. He could feel the hot glare of Hojo's eyes as they walked.

"And my partner is Lucrecia!" Vincent told Cloud as they sat on the steps outside for lunch. "You should have been there! I was like, really nervous though, felt like I needed a cigarette or something. But she was so nice. Like an angel, Cloud!"

Cloud smiled, shaking his head. "I've never seen you so hyped up about ANYTHING before!" he said.

"When I found out she was gonna be my partner for the next two weeks, I nearly died! I kept thinking about what if I messed up or something like tha-"

"Okay, Vincent. I think you're talking more than you ever have the whole 18 years you've been alive. You're actually starting to freak me out."

"Sorry, Cloud. Hmm... I need a smoke." He stood up, and walked out to the alleyway near the school. He lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. _'Don't fuck things up, Valentine. This might be your one and only chance,'_ he thought to himself as he inhaled the smoke. He closed his eyes.

_"Why are you so suprised? Is my face THAT hideous?"_

_'No, it's beautiful...'_

He tried to shake those thoughts from his mind, but he couldn't. It was so hard just forget her voice. He wondered what she thought of him. As soon as he knew it, he could swear that he heard her voice..

_"Vinc..."_

_"...ent..."_

_"Vincent?"_

_"Vincent!" _He nearly jumped up. He looked, and Cloud was calling him from outside the alleyway. "Come on, class is about to start. I don't want you skipping class again," he said. Vincent smiled slightly and put out his cigarette.

Vincent walked slowly to work, rewinding the whole day in his head. All he could think about was Lucrecia. How she smiled whenever he seemed to slack off, how she tapped her pencil nervously when she was thinking. He smiled to himself. _'Pull it together, Valentine! You're not yourself!'_ he said to himself. He walked into the office, to see Reeve standing up. "Valentine, glad you're here," he said. Vincent put his stuff down. "I'll get to work," Vincent said, sounding annoyed.

"Wait a second, I need to ask you a favor." He touched Vincent's shoulder, provoking him to turn around. "I need you to work this Saturday and Sunday. Actually, I think you might need to work on Saturdays and Sundays for a few weeks," said Reeve.

"What? Why?"

"One of the other workers got sick, and we're having an inspection. Things need to be in shape, and I have a quota. So do you."

"I know we have quotas, I'm making mine just fine! Whether you're making _your _quota okay is a different story."

"My quota has been raised, so you need to start working on Saturdays and Sundays for the next few weeks."

"But that means I'll be working like, 5 or 6 times a week!"

"Exactly."

"...Do I at least get more money?"

"You'll continue to get paid what you are being paid now."

"What? That's not fair! Working twice as hard for the exact same pay? I need to make a fucking living off of this, I don't even know if I can pay for my apartment anymore!"

"Don't use that language, Valentine. Maybe if I see a minor change in your progress, I can give you a raise. But until then, it's staying where it is now."

"But, Reeve.."

"Look, we have a tight schedule. I don't want to get hard on you Vincent, because I'm not like that. But I will if I have to. You need to work weekends, or... I guess you'll be fired."

"Fired..? But I need to make money.."

"Exactly why you need to work weekends. I suggest that you do. You can get to work now. We already have a customer waiting." Vincent sighed, and walked out to meet the customer.

Vincent was walking home. It was raining, the sky was gray. Cars and motorcycles flew by on the road. The rain started pouring harder. Vincent didn't care. He allowed himself to get soaked up by the rain. The streetlights came on, lighting the darkened area slightly. He sighed. He didn't want to get fired from his job. He didn't want to work weekends, either. He needed more drugs, but didn't really have the money. It was all stressful to him. But he forced himself to think about other things.

He thought about Lucrecia.

That was all he could think about. That was the only thing keeping him from going absolutely insane. That was the thought that kept him from grabbing his handgun and ending it with one bullet. He wanted to know more about her. They were partners for science, they would talk then.

He smiled slightly to himself as he came up to his apartment door, even though the rain was pouring harder every second.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. As always.**

**Chapter Eight:**

"So what would the density of this be?" Lucrecia asked Vincent. They were working on their science project at school, and they hadn't gotten very far yet. Vincent was mainly spending his time in a daze, thinking of Lucrecia. "Uh... 3.5?" he said after he wrote it on the paper. She nodded and smiled. "Good," she said. He smiled slightly. Just then, the bell rang. "Oh great... We're kind of behind. Maybe we can work on this when school's over?" Lucrecia said, getting up from her seat and grabbing her stuff. "Um, sure... Can I come to your house?" Vincent asked, watching her put her books away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hojo walking towards them. She pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote something on it. She looked to Hojo, and smiled nervously. Hojo glared at Vincent. "Let's go," he said. She nodded, secretly slipping the piece of paper onto Vincent's book. She smiled at him one last time before walking out of the classroom with Hojo.

Vincent sighed, and looked to the paper on the notebook. He unfolded it. It was her address, and a time: '6:30.'

Vincent felt like he was floating on a cloud on the way to work. He had never had so many emotions. He was actually going to Lucrecia's house, the girl who looked like an angel to him. He was still in shock that he was actually going over to her house. But wait..

What if Hojo was there?

Would Hojo act like an ass even when he was there?

He sighed at the thought, and walked into the office. Reeve was sitting at his desk, like always. "Valentine, glad to see you. I wanted to commend you for the work you've been doing. We've been having very satisfied customers," he said, standing up. Vincent nodded. "Thanks, Reeve," he said, setting his stuff down and walking out to see one of the customers.

It was 6:17, and Vincent was walking the streets before heading to Lucrecia's house. He was nervous, his stomach felt like it had turned over. He hoped with all his might that things went well. This was the first time he had been happy in a long time. He strolled up to her porch, and sighed. He knocked on the door. A few moments after, Lucrecia came to the door. She smiled at him. "Hello Vincent," she said, motioning for him to come in. He stepped into her house.

It was clean, and big. He hadn't ever really lived in an environment like this, even when his father was still alive. "Nice place," he said, looking around. She laughed. "Thank you," she said, nervously. _'Shit! Wrong thing to say, Valentine,'_ he thought to himself. But she took it fine. "So, should we get started?" she asked. He nodded. He sat down on the couch.

They worked on their project until 8:00. The sky outside was now dark, streetlights on. Rain patted on the windows. "Wow, we got really far!" Lucrecia said. Vincent smiled. "Thanks for all your help. I really needed it.. I'm doing kind of bad in school lately," said Vincent. She nodded and smiled. "You did very well on this project, I must say. I was glad to help you," she said. Vincent's heart lit up when she smiled. It was like light to him. The light that would guide him from the darkness. Just then, the phone rang. Lucrecia got up. "I'll be right back," she said, walking to the phone. Vincent leaned back on the couch. He heard her talking on the phone. Her words showed discomfort. He listened carefully.

"N-No, he's gone now. You don't need to come here," Lucrecia said. Vincent could hear distant yelling on the phone. He knew who it was. _'That bastard!'_ he thought to himself. "H-Hojo, please. Stop yelling. Everything is fine," Lucrecia said. She tried to keep the conversation quiet. She gasped, and couldn't take it anymore. She hung up the phone. Lucrecia ran back into the room, gathering up their project. "I'm so sorry, Vincent. You have to go," she said, putting her stuff away. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up. She paced back and forth nervously. "M-My mother is coming back, and I can't have anyone over," she said. _'Lie,' _Vincent thought. He was starting to worry, getting angrier at the thought of Hojo yelling at her. "Are you sure?" he asked, getting up. "Yes, I am sure! Please, you have to go! I'm so sorry!" She went over to the door, opening it. "I'm very sorry. I'll see you tomorrow!" she said. Vincent walked out the door, but turned. "Wait," he said.

She slowly closed the door, leaving Vincent alone on the porch, getting soaked by the rain.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Square Enix.**

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**Chapter Nine:**

The next Monday, things were awkward. Vincent knew something happened with Lucrecia and Hojo. He stared Hojo down coldly as he walked to his seat. Hojo just had a stupid look on his face. _'Asshole. Trying to look so smart,' _Vincent thought to himself. Lucrecia walked in the room right after Hojo, and she looked sad. He saw a scratch on the side of her face. _'The bastard ruined her beauty!'_ Vincent thought angrily. She sat down, not looking to Vincent once. Hojo walked to his seat, looking to Vincent with a hard glare. Vincent tried not to pay attention to him for the rest of that class.

"She kicked you out!" Cloud said, after Vincent had spent the whole lunch hour telling him about how things went at Lucrecia's house. Vincent sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know if I'd call it that.." he said.

"But Vincent, technically if she shut the door on you and left you standing there in the pouring rain, that means she must have kicked you out." Vincent looked at him. "Thanks, Cloud," he said sarcastically. Cloud smiled slightly. Vincent rested his head on his palm, thinking. "Well, you should have seen the look on her face when she was on the phone. I heard someone yelling on the other end. She looked scared, Cloud," he said. Cloud patted his shoulder. "No, Cloud, she was _scared_," he said, still not looking at him. He felt really bad about what had happened. He sighed. "I don't want her to be scared, Cloud," he said. Cloud patted his shoulder again. "It's alright, Vincent. I'm sure she has at least a _little_ feeling for you," said Cloud.

"Yeah, right. Someone like me?" Vincent replied, grabbing his stuff and walking away.

* * *

Vincent had thought about it for the whole day. He needed to know what happened that night. Not knowing was killing him. He hated seeing Lucrecia with that fearful look on her face. He was standing outside the school, waiting for Lucrecia to come out. He smoked while he waited. Thoughts scurried through his head. All he cared about right now was her. He wanted to know the truth. Sucking in cigarette smoke, he tensed up. He breathed it all out, relaxing his muscles. Then, Lucrecia emerged from the school building, Hojo wasn't by her side. Vincent threw the cigarette into a bush, and pushed a piece of mint gum into his mouth. "Lucrecia," he said, walking up to her. She looked away shyly. "Hello, Vincent.. I'm sorry, but I have to go," she said, not wanting to look at him.

Vincent saw the scratch on her face closely. It was pretty deep. "Lucrecia, wait. I need to know what happened that night," he said, walking beside her. She kept quickening her pace, her head lowered. "I-It's none of your business.." she said. "But it is! Someone is yelling at you on the phone, and suddenly I have to leave! Then you come back with a scratch on your neck!"

"Stop it! Just stop it.." She stopped, putting her head in her hands. Vincent stopped, not knowing if she should hug her. "Lucrecia.." he said, witnessing her tears fall. "P-Please! Just go away!" she said, running down the sidewalk. Vincent sighed, his heart was pained. He hated to see her cry. She hadn't gotten too far when he said, "Hojo." Lucrecia turned, looking at Vincent with tear stained eyes. Vincent walked toward her slowly, trying not to be tough. She looked away shamefully. "...He hits you, doesn't he?" he asked solemnly. He needed a truthful answer. He needed to help her through this! "Vincent...I'd rather you not get into this.."

"Just tell me, Lucrecia. You don't have anything to fear with me." She looked at him, her eyes watering. Vincent desperately wanted to reach up and brush her tears away, but his nerves held him back. "No one understands! H-He raped me, and made me give up my baby, okay! I didn't even get to hold him once! Just once! I was only 16, but he made me give it away!" she cried, shocking Vincent by holding onto his arms for support. Vincent held her up, listening to everything. "I was so upset...He hits me all the time, and it's all my fault! I'm only staying because he says he'll kill me if I ever left him..." Vincent's heart sank. He had heard enough. So much pain she had been suffering from, and he failed to stop it.

"Lucrecia, I-I.." he began, but she shook her head, overwhelmed with emotion. She pulled her arms away from him, crying as she ran home. Vincent stood there for a long time on the sidewalk. His heart seemed to stop beating. What he just saw overwhelmed him with guilt and sadness. He could have stopped this a long time ago. But his damn emotions got in the way! _'Damnit, Valentine! Now you've fucked it ALL up! why can't you ever be helpful to others? You let Lucrecia get hurt!'_ his thoughts told him. He fought to hold back his own emotions as he walked back to his apartment.

* * *

That night, Vincent's 9mm pistol laid on his mattress. He was left pacing back and forth in his room. A bag of marijuana- well, and empty bag of marijuana layed near his pillow. He had also smoked alot of pot, and his head was spinning. He shuddered nervously, his eyes twitched. Rubbing his wrists, he paced back and forth more. Gun on the bed, drugs in the drawer, pills in the cabinet, razors in the bathroom. He had alot of choices, they all ran through his head. He then fell to his knees, stumbling from all the drugs he had taken. His hands shaking, he pulled the drawer open to see if he had anymore drugs. He had run out. He had no money, either. He grunted in anger, standing up weakily and walking to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection. His face was pale, his eyes were dark and his head pounded.

He opened the cabinet. There were some razors for shaving, and lots of pills. He looked to the bottles of pills, grabbing them with trembling fingers. Three different kinds of headache medicine he could choose from. He stumbled back into his room, sitting on his bed. He put his pistol on the nightstand, opening the bottles of pills. Some pills were big, some were small. He popped three pills into his mouth. "That one's for dad.." he mumbled. He picked up three more pills, throwing them down his throat. "That's for all the money I owe.." he said. And then he grabbed a handful, over 10 pills in his hand at once. He threw them all down his throat, swallowing sharply.

"And that one's..for.." he stuttered, falling weakly onto his soft, red bed. But he was slipping away. He reached out with his hand, trying to grab onto his blanket, but he couldn't. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell unconscious.

"...Lucrecia."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enough said.**

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**Chapter Ten:**

_'Beep...beep...beep..'_ That's all Vincent Valentine woke up to. He was in a hospital, he could tell by the sterile environment. His eyes were droopy, his body was tired and weak. There were wires attached to his arms, as well as under his nose. He was covered in a white blanket, his long black hair falling over his resting shoulders. He opened his eyes more. Everything in the room was white. He saw the image of Cloud Strife standing next to the hospital bed. "Cloud?" he asked tiredly. His voice was weaker than he thought. "Don't talk. You need rest," said Cloud. Vincent shook his head, he didn't understand. "Cloud...What happened?" he asked.

Cloud kneeled by the bed, eye level with Vincent. "I was pretty worried about you all day, you seemed depressed. I tried calling, but there was no answer. And..." It didn't seem like he could continue. Vincent was confused, he couldn't remember anything. Up to Lucrecia confessing all her problems to him, his memories were pretty much wasted. "I came over, and saw you laying lifeless on the bed with three bottles of pills by your side," Cloud finished.

Vincent gasped quietly, causing pain in his stomach. He leaned into his pillow, and sighed. "...Did you say three?" he asked weakily. Cloud nodded. It was then that Vincent saw that there were others in the room. He turned his head slightly, and saw Yuffie, Cid, Barret, and even Reeve was there. "You okay, Vinny?" Yuffie asked, coming over to his side. He didn't even feel like bashing her for calling him 'Vinny'; he was too weak. He tried to sit up in his bed, making sure the pillows still supported him. "I don't remember anything...The pills, the fainting, not anything..." he said, feeling hopeless.

Cid walked over to him. "You'll be alright, ol' pal. Why'd you have to overdose like that? You could've had a heartattack, if not give us one!" said Cid. Vincent sighed, resting his head on the pillows. "I don't know why..." he said. Just then, the nurse came in. She was wearing white, also. _'A very sterile color..'_

"I'm sorry, but he needs his rest now," said the nurse. She was holding a needle in her hand, making Vincent cringe inside. Everyone turned and walked to the door. "We'll be back later Vincent, alright?" Reeve said, turning back. Vincent nodded slightly. _'He actually called me Vincent...'_ They all walked out. A few moments after they did, someone else came to the door, asking the nurse if she could allow one more visitor. Vincent recognized the voice.

He _knew _that voice. The nurse nodded. "You have 15 minutes," she said. Then, Vincent saw Lucrecia come in. His insides flopped. "Lucrecia?" he asked. Her eyes filled with sorrow. "Hi, Vincent..." she said, walking over to the side of his bed, sitting by him on a chair. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Lucrecia, you shouldn't be here. What did you tell Hojo?" Vincent asked, moving his hand to her slightly. She shook her head. She didn't want to go there. "It doesn't matter about Hojo. I don't care...All I care about is knowing that you're gonna be okay," she said. Vincent's heart swam. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he loved her. He loved her so much at that moment. He closed his eyes, turning his head away. He hated himself right then, too.

"Vincent...How could you do that to yourself? What was going through your head?" she asked. Vincent could hear the disappointment in her voice. He shook his head slightly. "I-I...I don't know..." he said.

"Vincent, when I got that call from Cloud, I was scared! I was really, really scared! I mean, you're my friend, and friends have to look after each other, right?" At that moment, she gently took his hand. Vincent's heart stopped. That was the touch he had anticipated for so long. Feeling her warm skin against his own, warming his what seemed like cold blood, was like having the world to him. It seemed like all that nonsense about work, his apartments, not having enough money to buy drugs-it all went away. This was the first time he had felt..._happy._

"Yeah..You're right.." he said, looking back at her. She smiled slightly, and lowered her head. She sighed. "Vincent...I don't want you to die," she said. "Mmm..." he said, nodding slightly in a agreement. He hated himself for putting his friends through that much trauma, all over him. And he thought he was worthless..

"I know about the drugs, the drinking, everything. Vincent, if you keep doing this to yourself, you may not come back next time! And I'm scared of that! I don't want you to die!" she continued, tears beginning to form. All he could do was nod. He was ashamed. "I know.." he said. She sighed, grasping tighter to his hand. "Vincent, please...I don't want you to ever do this to yourself again, okay? Please, you have to promise me.." she said.

Vincent didn't know. He'd been caught up in this whole world that evolved around drugs, drinking, self destruction...He didn't know if he could recover! But he would try. He wanted to live, for his friends, for his father's wishes, for Lucrecia...

"I'm so sorry, Lucrecia. It's so hard.." he said.

"Don't worry, I'll be here with you. We'll get through together, okay?" He looked into his eyes. She smiled, tears falling down her face. He held her hand tighter, admiring her for being there for him. She was so strong. "As soon as I recover, let's talk about..._Hojo,_" said Vincent, smirking. Lucrecia smiled slightly, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. He laid in his bed, gazing at Lucrecia, until the nurse came in telling Lucrecia she had to leave. She got up, releasing his hand. Vincent's hand instantly fell cold. "I'll be back later, okay?" she said, looking back at him. Vincent nodded. She smiled and walked out the door.

_Alone again..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Summary: IN THIS CHAPTER A TEACHER HITS ON VINCENT!!!!!!!!! I would slap the teacher. Then again, if I was the teacher, maybe I'd do the same thing if Vincent was my student...YOU DID NOT JUST READ THAT.**

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**Chapter Eleven:**

The next few days were hell for Vincent. He was put on suicide watch, and Cloud confiscated every drug in his house. He also proceeded to take away his handgun. Vincent knew giving up his addiction was going to be hard, but he wanted to do it for his friends. He wanted to do it for Lucrecia. He wanted to do it for himself.

Vincent was sitting outside the school, one hour before the day started. He didn't know why he was here; it was like his legs just forced him to go there. So many teachers had offered him help, so many counselors wanted to talk to him, but he just wanted to be left alone. He didn't want to be constantly reminded of his darkest night. He coldly turned them away. Vincent put a cigarette up to his lips; it was the only thing his friends were okay about, but he wanted to quit that too. Lucrecia wouldn't want to kiss him with cigarette breath.

"Vincent?" someone asked from behind him on the steps of the school. He looked behind him, breathing smoke out of his mouth. It was his teacher, Professor Elena. He turned back around. Elena's footsteps could be heard as she stepped down one step. "Would you like to come inside? Do you need help with any homework?" she asked.

"...No."

"...It's cold out here. Aren't you cold?" Her voice got irritating to him. Her voice was enough during lessons in class, but to hear her provoking him to come inside was just getting annoying. He threw his cigarette out into the sidewalk, and got up. He walked up the school's steps, and followed Professor Elena to the classroom.

He set his stuff down on his desk, and slid into the seat. The room was quiet, the clouds that showed from the window were heavy and gray. Professor Elena sat down at her desk, and looked at Vincent. Thoughts ran through his head. About Lucrecia, about school, about the last time he had some drugs...

"Have you been doing okay?" Elena asked. Vincent rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm fine." He was sick of everybody asking that question.

"Well, I'm just asking so you don't start slacking off in school again."

"Well, I'm fine! Nobody has to ask me that anymore." He got up from his seat, not wanting anymore interrogation. Elena immediately stands up, and grabs his wrist. Vincent turned. Professor Elena sighed.

"Just know that there are people here for you, and we're here to help you, alright? We know you went through alot of tough times these past few weeks, and we're willing to do anything to help you. You just need to cooperate with us, okay?"

"I'm through will 'cooperating' with people. I can take care of myself; it's the only choice I have."

"No, you have alot of people. Your friends, your counselors..." Professor Elena then turned Vincent fuly around, pulling him closer to her, looking at him seductively in the eyes. "Me..." she said, guiding Vincent's hand down her side. Vincent's eyes widened, his brain instantly jerked, his body instantly froze. Professor Elena was _hitting_ on him! All that crap about the teachers being there to talk to him; all Elena wanted to do was get in his pants! He instantly felt betrayed, and taken advantage of. But he knew he had control. Sure, he hadn't had control over the other things in life, but he _did_ have control over this. Vincent jerked his hand away, immediately regretting accepting her offer to come inside. Professor Elena's face dropped, her eyes questioning.

Vincent sneered at her. "Don't you fucking dare..." he said, pointing at her menacingly, his dark eyes ominous as he walked backwards to the door. Elena sighed in anger, and Vincent ran out the door of her classroom.

He came to the school doors, and saw students already arriving through the glass. His heart was racing, he could feel tears creeping up on his eyes. He would give anything for them not to spill. Vincent kicked through the glass on the school doors, provoking everyones attention. The glass on the door shattered with a big crash, dropping down the steps. Some students jumped out of the way as Vincent stormed down the steps. Cloud was sitting at the bottom of the stair railing, talking to Tifa. He got up, looking at Vincent with questioning eyes. "Vincent? Whats wrong? Why'd you kick the glass like that?" he asked, looking down. The blood from Vincent's ankle seeped through his pants. Vincent stormed down the sidewalk.

"Nothing, Cloud," he said. Everyone was left in a confused state as the principal came out to observe the glass that had been shattered by Vincent.

* * *

Vincent didn't go back to school that day. He never wanted to go again. Professor Elena was a sick slut. He was sitting in his room, sipping some beer. However, his friends didn't let him drink; he decided to sneak it. He guzzled down two bottles, and reached over to his nightstand to get the third out of the six pack. His ankle was stinging badly, but he refused to give it any attention. _'Let it bleed...'_

The room was lit by a burned out lamp, the lightbulb almost needed to be replaced. The moonlight streamed through his curtain onto his bed. Vincent slouched down onto his pillow, feeling it sink under his weight. The headboard allowed him to keep his head up, so he might possibly be able to stay awake, and not fall into an intoxicated slumber. Just then, when he thought the shrill silence was never going to end, someone slowly opened his bedroom door. It was _her_.

Lucrecia.

"I heard you broke some glass at school today," she said, not coming forth from the shadow of the doorway. Vincent wanted to disappear. Him with a beer bottle and a bleeding, covering ankle was not a good sight. He grunted, and sighed. Lucrecia walked to him, and slowly took the beer bottle out of his hand. Her skin was soft against his; a touch from heaven, a touch he really needed. She slowly sat down next to him, holding his hand close to her chest. "Vincent, please..." she said. Vincent gently ran his thumb across her cheek. His heart ached; Lucrecia was feeling pain for him. "Please...you've got to stop doing these things to yourself," she said.

"...But it's so hard..." Vincent said. She nodded.

"I know, it's hard. But you can't keep doing this. All this drinking, all these cigarettes, its all got to end! I just don't want you to do what you did, and possibly not come back from the hospital." Vincent saw tears in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Lucrecia.."

"No, no...Don't be. I'm gonna help you through this, okay? So is Cloud, Tifa, Reeve, all of your friends; we're all going to help you, okay? You just need to let us in."

"...Okay."

"Will you let me in, Vincent?" She gently touched his cheek. Vincent closed his eyes, reveling her touch.

"...I love you, Lucrecia."

"And I love you, and I want to keep loving you for a long time." He sighed, his heart aching. Lucrecia then leaned down, and pressed her lips to his. They were soft, warm, comforting, and glorious. Vincent felt Lucrecia's tears fall down from her cheeks onto his, and he pulled her close to his chest. Lucrecia slid over him, laying beside him on the other side of his bed. She wrapped her arms over Vincent's chest, and Vincent wrapped his arms around Lucrecia. She was so beautiful, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world. Even though his life was filled with agony, intoxication and damnation, Lucrecia was the light of his life.

She was the light that would save him from himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own nothing once again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed it means so much to me.**

**READ THIS FIRST: THIS IS THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER FOR 'SAVE MY FROM MYSELF', so I'm putting it in Vincent's POV, just to get more in depth. The ending is shocking, let me tell you.**

**WARNING: This chapter contains blood, and violence Just so you know, I don't hate Lucrecia.**

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**Chapter Twelve:**

I slept next to Lucrecia that night. I felt so happy to be sleeping next to her, though I didn't know how she really, really felt. I'm also kind of worried about her. What ever happened to Hojo? If he hurt her, then as far as I'm concerned, it would be his last day on earth. Nothing had happened the night before, so there wasn't anything for her to feel guilty about. I rolled onto my back, and sighed. Then, I saw Lucrecia standing by the side of the bed. He hair was fixed, her clothes were neat, she was refreshed. She smiled. Something was different today; something was different in her smile. Whatever it was, it made me feel like the most important man in the world. She walked over to my side of the bed, touching my arm. "Come on, we've gotta go to school," she said.

School. _'Great...'_

I sighed heavily, and got up. I stumbled slightly; the alcohol I had last night was getting to my head. I shook my head, trying to clear my obscured vision. Lucrecia helped me regain my balance and hugged me tightly. "Are you okay?" she asked me. I sighed, putting my head in his hand.

"I don't know..."

"You need to stop drinking."

"Well, I feel like I need something to vent off of!"

"You can always come to me, Vincent. I'll be here for as long as _you _want to be here." I sighed, and involuntarily sat back down on the bed. My head ached, my body pulsed, everything felt sore. It was all my fault. Why was I always such a jerk to myself? Here Lucrecia was trying to help me, and all I do is self destruct! Why do I always let everyone down, including myself? Lucrecia gently sat down next to me, sliding her hand into mine. "You know, I really love you, Vincent," she said. I closed my eyes, listening to her words, and her words only.

"But, I want to be with you if you have respect for yourself."

"...But, I always feel like I need someone else to keep me on track..."

"Vincent, if you want me to save you, you're gonna need to save yourself from yourself first." My heart sank, beating fast. I loved Lucrecia. I needed her. She was the only one keeping me alive. I couldn't repeatedly let her down.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be, Vincent. I'll always be here for you. Now, come on, I need to go back home and you need to get ready for school."

School. _'Great...'_

I stood up, and hugged Lucrecia. She smiled. "I'll see you later today, okay?" she said, her hand slipping from mine as she walked to the door. I nodded. She smiled at me, and then she was gone.

I loved her too much to let her down.

* * *

I walked to the school steps, not wanting to go in. I was dreading seeing the bitch that tried to make a move on me the day before. I looked at the building with dread. Today was gonna be a long day. And what made it worse was the fact that _I_ had to do harder labor in order to pay for that damn door I broke during by outburst of fury.

Cloud approached my side. I didn't say anything, but I knew what he was going to say. "Hey, what was up with you yesterday?" he asked. I sighed, walking to the side of the steps and pulling out a cigarette. I lit it, expanding the tension between Cloud's question and I. I inhaled the smoke deeply before answering.

"You better not tell anyone," I said. I tried to make my voice more threatening, so he knew that I meant it more than anything. Cloud nodded, his eyes getting wider. I took another puff of smoke, blowing it out slowly. Cloud coughed as the gray smoke swirled into his face. I chuckled inside, but tried to keep it on the subject. "...You know Professor Elena?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"...The bitch tried to make a move on me yesterday." Cloud gasped, and I immediately dropped the cigarette, covering Cloud's mouth. "Shh!" I said, try

"Shjse huit oon yoo?!" Cloud said under my muffling hand. I leaned back against the wall, and sighed. I really, _really _didn't want this to get out to everyone.

"Yeah..." I said.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I don't fucking want to see that bitch! She can go fuck the principal for all I care..."

"Are you gonna tell someone about it?"

"Fuck, no. I'm grown, I can take care of myself." I looked around, wondering if Lucrecia had gotten here yet. I was wondering whether I should tell her about what professor Elena did, or keep it a secret. All I wanted right now was to see her. I needed to see her gorgeous smile, her amazing eyes, and I wanted to tell her that I loved her. The night and morning before was still stuck to my mind. There was a swarm of students gathered at the steps; cliques talking, jocks tossing footballs around; I was just there, searching for my love. I couldn't fight the involuntary feeling of worry when I didn't spot her immediately. "Cloud?" I asked, still not turning away from my personal search.

"Yeah?" Cloud asked.

"Have you seen Lucrecia?"

"No." I also couldn't fight back the involuntary stop of my heart. Maybe she was late. I convinced myself that was what it was. Nothing else, nothing else but tardiness. But something inside me couldn't help but feel like something bad had happened. I couldn't stop myself from feeling that way. I was a magnet for trouble, but could I sense it? No. I told myself I was too worthless. The school bell rang, awaking me from my little world. I turned to Cloud. "I'm gonna go, alright?" I said.

"What? Why?" Cloud asked. His eyes were full of concern and worry. I tried to hide my sympathy and guilt as I walked away.

"I'll see you around, alright?" I said over my shoulder. I knew he must have been left in a confused state.

* * *

My heart was racing as I powerwalked down the sidewalk. The sun was out, but thin clouds started to emerge from the blue heavens. My eyes ached from the powerful light. The houses on the side were empty, no lights or anyone on the porch. Everyone was either at work or at school. Was I worrying too much? Was I overreacting just because I loved Lucrecia so much?...No. I wasn't overreacting. These feelings were true. There was nothing I could do about that. My boots stormed the sidewalk, the sound was loud to my ears. Lucrecia's house was just a little further. I then started to run. My ankle was hurting more than ever, but I pushed through the pain like there was never one wound on my body. I couldn't wait any longer.

I approached the house, knocking on the door frantically. "Lucrecia?" I asked. I knocked a little louder, just in case she was still upstairs. But then, the door opened. It hadn't been locked, or closed all the way. It slowly slid open, and I felt a rush of cool air. The smell was clean, just like it was when I had been there before. I stepped into the house, throwing my bag onto the floor. "Lucrecia? You up there?" I called up the steps. No one was home. Where had she gone? Where was anyone? I quickly stepped onto the stairs, skipping two steps as I went to the top. "Lucrecia?" I asked. My heart was racing madly, my mind was starting to freak out on me. My blood pumped quickly through my face. All in all, I felt sicker than any hangover.

One of the hallway doors was slightly ajar. I stepped into the doorway.

I could have died right there.

Lucrecia was laying on the floor in a pool of blood, her eyes closed. My scream was darker, angrier, louder, and more ominous than anything in the world. My mind raged. I ran over to her, kneeling by her side and picking her up. "Lucrecia!" I screamed. There was blood all over her clothes, and some was coming from the corner of her mouth. Her hair was ruffled from her fall to the ground, and her hands and legs were bloody. Hot tears streamed down my face as I became more and more angry. "Lucrecia! Wake up! Please!" I hollered.

The only perfect feature on her body at the moment, the only thing that had been untouched were her smooth, delicate eyes. They were closed. Her dark eyelashes rested gently on her face, and her eyes weren't strained. They were peacefully closed. I started crying harder than ever, not believing what I held in my arms. I didn't believe what had become of my guardian angel who was laying in my arms. "Lucrecia, please...Open your eyes.." I cried, my sobs taking over me. My eyes wandered down, and I saw the confirmation of her death. A bullet wound. She'd been shot.

"No!!!" I screamed, my voice loud and outraged. My head sank down, crying as I held Lucrecia in my arms. She was gone. I felt no pulse as my head laid down into her neck. Her arms were fallen by her sides, never to move again. It seemed like nothing was real. In my mind, she was invincible. In my head, she was an angel, never to die, but to heal and guide me. She was just trying to save me! I didn't even get to tell her how much I loved her, and how much I cared about her...

But then, my sobs stopped. I could feel the hate growing inside me, the beast inside me raging, my rage and anger overpowering me. My eyes felt hot, my breathing got heavier as I came to my conclusion. There was only one person who would do something so cruel, something so life changing just to hurt me. All my sadness was overtaken by my rage, my anger, my bloodboiling hate. Him. He was going to pay for the death of my one and only.

_"Hojo..."_

* * *

I had called the ambulance, but hadn't gone to the hospital just to get confirmation that my guardian angel was dead. I didn't need that. What did I need? Revenge. My search for Hojo began.

He couldn't go on living. I wasn't going to let him. He didn't deserve it. He deserved nothing. He wasn't worthy. I bought myself a new handgun, and proceeded to buy dozens of bullets. Who knows how many I was going to use? Maybe just one, or twenty, or fifty perhap...

The rain came down in buckets upon the world; upon my world at least. It was a night of thunder, a night of evil, a night of revenge. There were already dark puddles on the sidewalk and on the road. The clouds were darker and heavier than ever, and they almost had a dark purple color. The lightning stretched down from the sky to the land, the bolts electrifying and ominous. I'm sure that if anyone else was walking at this time, I was nothing more than a shadow that blended in with the night. I didn't care. My world had already crashed down on me, leaving me with pain and sorrow. I didn't need to worry about who I was to other people; other than Hojo. To him, I would tonight be a killer. And he was my first victim.

I approached his home. I saw that the lights were off through the windows. _'Hiding...'_

My emotions grew darker as I walked closer to the door. Not one thing would be the same ever again. No, not after tonight. Nothing had been the same since Lucrecia had gone back to heaven with the angels. But I would do her job for her. I'm going to make Hojo pay. There was no doubt in my mind that Hojo wouldn't be painless after tonight. He'd feel the same pain that he put Lucrecia through. He'll pay for everything; I'll make sure of it.

I knocked on the door, not really expecting an actual answer. "Knock knock..." I said under my breath. No answer. But my senses told me that my suspicions of someone being in there were right. I smiled to myself, another streak of lightning crackling down from the sky. I jumped down from the porch to the side of the house to one of the four pane windows. The dark curtains blocked my view. With one blow, I launched my fist into the window, watching it shatter just like my heart did. The bits of glass scattered onto the dark grass. I cleared out the space, not caring that blood was seeping through my glove. I climbed over the ledge, into the house. I had succeeded in my break in. But that wasn't what I was worried about. All I wanted was my revenge.

The house was dark. I was in the kitchen, but I felt someone in the room. I felt their presence. I already knew who it was. Him. The ungrateful bastard who didn't deserve life. I loaded my handgun, looking around. My eyes looked around hungrily, bathing in the darkness of the room. Just then, I heard something move upstairs. I looked to the stairs, and someone had turned the light. "Hello?" Hojo asked. I heard the bastard's voice, right on my ears that were still scarred by my screams. I smiled to myself. This was it. The time.

I slowly approached the archway which lead to the stairs. I made sure that my footsteps sounded scary, as menacing as they could. The hallway light was bright. There was white carpet on the steps. It looked soft and fluffy. I imagined it stained with Hojo's blood.

I turned the corner to look to the top of the steps. No one was there anymore. I couldn't help smiling to myself as I slowly walked up the stairs. My stomach was crawling, my heart was fit to bursting, and my mind thought of nothing but these few moments. I wasn't gonna let them slip through my fingers as I had let happen to my father, my friends, and my only one...Lucrecia. There was a door to my right, and it was Hojo's room. There wasn't a sign on the door, and the door wasn't open: I could sense it. I felt it in my loins. Curling my fist with rage, I kicked the door open. _BOOM!_

Hojo was at his desk, looking up things in books. They were about science, and experiments. He looked up at me, and I saw the fear in his face. The horror in his eyes was unlike anything I had ever seen. It made me feel powerful. I pointed the handgun at him, but didn't say a word. Hojo started whimpering, getting up from his desk, and backing away. "Vincent Valentine! Get out of my home!" he yelled. I could hear the strain in his voice to sound serious, but it was masked by pure, bloody fear. I walked slowly towards him, keeping my position.

"You killed her..." I said darkly. There was no room in my head for sympathy.

"What?!"

"Lucrecia...You killed Lucrecia..." I cocked the pistol, which sent him to the ground. He covered his head, screaming for me to stop. It was pathetic. Someone who claimed to be so strong as to shoot someone, was now cowering in fear at the sight of an overturned pistol. What's the worst of all was that he killed _my _Lucrecia. My beautiful Lucrecia Crescent who had never gotten the chance to fully live.

"You don't deserve life.." I said, leaning down and grabbing Hojo by his coat, pulling him upright. He was shorter than I was; another advantage. But I already knew I had all the advantages. If I didn't, I wouldn't have left my apartment.

"Please! Have mercy!" Hojo yelled, refusing to look me if the eyes. I then pushed the gun onto his temple, and he screamed loudly. Tears ran down his face. I had no place for mercy in my heart. He gave me no mercy, he gave Lucrecia no mercy: he didn't deserve it.

"You're gonna feel the same pain Lucrecia felt, only she dealt with it for a split second that one day. I'm gonna make sure you don't fall so easily." I pointed the gun to his leg, and pointed the trigger. His bloodcurtling screams filled the whole house. He fell down to the floor, squeezing his limb in agony. I kneeled down. "Does it hurt, hm?" I asked. He didn't reply in anything other than a scream. I stood for a moment, and kicked his leg. It added to his pain. He screamed louder. "Do you hurt now, huh?" I asked, shooting his other leg. I completely blocked out his screams, and fired at his stomach. He croaked, and fell limp to the ground. His eyes closed, as a pool of his blood sprouted out from under him.

I did it. I had taken my revenge, and made what I wanted out of it. I was never going to let go of my love for Lucrecia, not for anything or anyone.

...No matter what the consequences were.

* * *

The Midgar police had come to Hojo's house when people started spreading rumors. Thats where they had found the scene of my crime, and thats when they caught me.

Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, Barret, and Cid were in shock. The death of Lucrecia, along with the death of Hojo couldn't be separate situations. Eventually, they got the whole story. I haven't spoken to them since; not even Yuffie has pestered me. Part of it was because they might be caught in disbelief, and another part of it was because I was confined to a jail sentence of ten to fifteen years.

The handcuffs around my wirsts were cold and hard against my soft flesh. A policeman was walking me to my jail cell. The people I saw here were different than anyone I had ever seen. Macho, muscular, threatening, and menacing. I didn't know if I'd fit in here, but I would admit that this is what I deserved. I wasn't going to beg for freedom, or say that this is unfair punishment. I commited a crime, one that was both bad, and still replenishable to me in a way. Inside, I knew it was wrong. But I felt like I had gotten my life revenge for everything bad that ever happened to me, or Lucrecia. I had gotten my taste for sweet revenge.

The policeman opened the jail cell door, sliding it open. The sound of the metal sliding against the hinges made me cringe. The cell was dark and lonesome; how would this be any different than my previous home? He released me from my handcuffs, and I walked into the cell. I listened to the jingling keys as he shut the gate on me. Ten to fifteen years in solitary confinement.

I hung my hands outside on the handlebars, looking down. Part of me ached. Part of me was glad to have my revenge. But I found the aching feeling starting to become more dominant over my feeling of triumph. Memories crossed my mind, sending me fighting back tears.

_"My name is Lucrecia...Lucrecia Crescent."_

_"And I love you, and I want to keep loving you for a long time."_

_"...you're gonna need to save yourself from yourself first."_

I sighed, my heart slowly sinking into an abyss of turmoil.

"Lucrecia...I've done it...I've gotten your revenge...Your revenge, and mine..."

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**THE END **

**I'm not sure yet, but I'm thinking of doing a sequel. Don't forget about me.**


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